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|lflii-(l:ii(ll;iiiii |)istovie, 6ciu;iloiiical .Socirtij, 



CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS 






BOSTON : 

PRINTED BY DAVID CLAPP & SON 

1876. 



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CONSTITUTION. 



Article I.— The society shall be called the New-England Historic, 
Genealogical Society. 

Article II. — The objects of the society shall be to collect, preserve, 
and disseminate tlie locfil and general history of New-England, and the 
genealogy of New-England families. 

Article III. — The society shall be composed of resident, corresponding, 
honorary and life members. 

Article IV. — Resident, corresponding, and honorary members, having 
been nominated by the board of directors, shall be elected by ballot, at any 
stated meeting, by a majority of the votes cast. 

Article V. — Every person elected a member of the society shall become 
such by signifying his acceptance to the corresponding secrefar}-, in writing; 
and any member may withdraw from it, at any time, by certifying his inten- 
tion of so doing to the recording secretary, in writing, and paying all dues to 
the treasurer. 

Article VI. — Each resident member shall pay into the treasury, on his 
admission, the sum of five dollars, and after the year of his admission an 
annual tax of three dollars. Any meml)er neglecting or refusing to pay his 
assessments for two years, shall forfeit his membership, unless the board of 
directors shall otherwise order. 

Article VII. — The payment of thirty dollars, in addition to his admis- 
sion fee, shall constitute any resident or corresponding member a life-member 
of the society, life-members shall be free from assessments, and entitled to 
all the rights and privileges of resident members. 

Article VIII.— The officers of the society shall be a president; one 
vice-president for each of the New-England States; one honoraiy vice- 
president for each of such of the other States as the society may determine; 
a corresponding secretary; a treasurer; a recording secretary; a historio- 
grapher; a librarian, and a board of directors. They shall hold office one- 
year, or until their successors are elected. 

Article IX. — No person shall be eligible as a corresponding member 
who resides in any of the New-England States; and the membership of 
corresponding members coming into New-England to reside, shall cease 
three months after such change of residence. 



Article X.— The president, the past presidents, the secretaries, the 
treasurer, the librarian, the historioo^rapher, the chairmen of the several 
standing committees and of the boards of trustees, those who have served 
seven years as directors, and five persons chosen by the society for the 
purpose, shall constitute the board of directors. 

Article XI. — The society shall meet in the city of Boston, for the 
transaction of business, on the first "Wednesday of every month, except the 
months of July and August, and except when such Wednesday is a legal 
holiday, and at such other times as the society or the board of directors shall 
appoint. The meetings in January, April and October shall be considered 
quarterly meetings, and at all meetings of the society, resident and life 
members only shall be entitled to a vote. 

Article XII. — The officers of the society shall be chosen by ballot, at 
the January meeting, by a majority of the votes cast; and any vacancy 
occurring may be filled at any' subsequent monthly meeting in the same 
manner. 

Article XIII. — By-Laws of the society may be made or amended by a 
vote of three-fourths of the members present, and voting, at any regular 
meeting, notice of the same having been given in writing, at a previous 
meeting of the society, and entered upon the records. 

Article XIV. — N'o alteration shall be made in this constitution, except 
at a quarterly meeting of the society, on the written recommendation, then 
presented, of at least five members, and by a vote of three-fourths of the 
members present, and voting; notice of the proposed alteration having 
been given in writing at a previous monthly meeting and entered on the 
records. 



BY-LAWS 



Duties of Members. 

Article I. — It shall be the duty of the members of the society to obtain 
historical and genealogical information by collecting books, pamphlets, docu- 
ments, records, journals and papers, ancient and modern, and to deposit the 
same in the archives of the society. 

Written Communications. 

Article II. — All written communications shall be deemed the property 
of the society, miless the right to such be -specially reserved in writing by 
their authors and depositors. 

The Library. 

Article III. — The library shall be open for the free use of all the mem- 
bers of the society ; and any person, not a member, may be permitted to 
use the same, having first presented to the librarian satisfactory testimonials, 
and entered his name on the journal. 

The manuscripts shall not "be taken from the.library except by vote of the 
board of directors first had and obtained in each instance ; but copies there- 
of may be made under such restrictions, as to publication, as the board may 
prescribe. 

The books and pamphlets shall be kept for reference, and shall not be 
taken from the library except in extraordinary cases, and with the consent 
of the librarian and one of the committee on the library, and for such time 
and under such rules as may be made by said committee, and furnished in 
writing to the librarian. 

Assessments. 

Article IV. — The assessments of each current year shall be due at the 
annual meeting in January. 

Elections to Membership — wheyi void. 

Article V. — Elections to membership that are not accepted^within one 
year from the date thereof shall be void, unless otherwise ordered by the 
directors. 

Quorum in Board of Directors^ &c. 

Article VI. — The board of directors and the standing committees shall 
severally determine what number of members shall constitute a quorum of 
their respective bodies. 



Order of Proceedings at Public Meetings. 
Article YII. — The order of proceedings at public meetings of the soci- 
ety shall be as follows : 

1. The reading of the records of the preceding meeting. 

2. The report of the librarian. 

3. The report of the corresponding secretary. 

4. The report of the historiographer. 

5. The election of members. 

6. The reading of papers and essays. 

7. The transaction of miflnished business. 

8. The transaction of other business. 

Motions to he in Writing. 

Article VIII. — All motions or resolutions, offered at any meeting of the 
society, shall, on the request of the presiding officer, be submitted in writing. 

Life-Fund. 

Article IX. — All moneys received for life-membership shall be invested 
from time to time by the treasurer, with the approval of the committee on 
finance, and kept invested in good securities, and shall be called the life-fund : 
the income thereof may be used for current expenditures, but the principal 
shall remain intact. 

Honorary Vice-Presidents, &c. — who are eligihle. 

Article X. — The honorary vice-presidents shall be chosen from the 
members of the society residing in the states which they represent ; vice- 
presidents shall be chosen from the resident or life-members in their resi)ec- 
tive states ; all other officers, standing committees and trustees shall be 
chosen from the resident or life-members. 

Corresponding Secretary. 

Article XI. — It shall be the duty of the corresponding secretary to con- 
duct the general corresjjondence of the society ; to place on tile all letters 
received ; to enter the names of members systematically in books kept for 
the purpose, and to issue certificates of membership. 

Treasurer. ' 

Article XII. — It shall be the duty of the treasurer to take charge of all 
moneys belonging to the society ; to collect all fees and taxes ; to pay all 
bills against the society when approved by the board of directors ; to keep 
a full account of receipts and expenditures in a book belonging to the society ; 
to invest the funds of the society, with the consent and approval of the 
board of directors ; and, at the annual meeting, to make a full and detailed 
r«port in writing, and at such other times as may be required by said board. 

Becording Secretary. 

Article XIII. — It shall be the duty of the recording secretary to make 
a full and explicit record of all the proceedings of the society, at its meet- 
ings ; and the minutes so made shall be read at the succeeding meeting for 
the correction of errors, and afterward be entered as the permanent record 
of the society in a book kept for that purpose. 



Historiographer. 

Article XIV. — It shall be the duty of the historiocrraphcr to collect and 
preserve materials for a history of the society ; to prepare biographies of its 
deceased members for publication, and deposit the same in the archives of 
the society. lie may read at the stated meetings such of the biographies, 
or such parts of them, as he may deem advisable. 

Librarian. 

Article XV. — It shall be the duty of the librarian to take charge of the 
books, pam[)hlets, manuscripts, and all other property belonging to or de- 
posited in the library ; to classify and arrange the books and p;uni)hlets for 
the convenient use of the members ; keep a correct catalogue of the same ; 
enter all donations in a book, kept for that purpose, with a sufficient descrip- 
tion thereof, the date of their recci)tion, and the name of the donor, and in 
behalf of the society make acknowledgment of the same by letter ; to pur- 
chase books, when authorized by the board of directors, to whom he shall be 
responsible for the proper discharge of his duties. lie shall have the care 
of the rooms, and make all necessary preparations for the meetings, of the 
society. 

Board of Directors. 

Article XVI. — It shall be the duty of the board of directors to superin- 
tend and conduct the prudential and executive business of the society ; to 
authorize all expenditures of money ; to fix all salaries ; to receive and act 
upon all resignations and forfeitures of membership ; and to see that the con- 
stitution and by-laws are duly complied with. 

Standing Committees. 

Article XVII. — The society shall, at the quartei-ly meeting in October 
in each year, choose a standing committee on publication ; and at the annual 
meeting four additional standing committees, each committee to consist of 
not less than five members ; and said committees shall hold monthly meet- 
ings for the transaction of business, viz. : 

1st, On Publication, 

2d, On the Library. 

3d, On Papers and Essays. 

4th, On Finance. 

5th, On Heraldry. 

Committee on the Library. 

Article XVIII. — It shall be the duty of the committee on the library 
to solicit donations of books, pamphlets and manuscripts for the society, such 
as local, genealogical or family histories, biographies, travels, journals, histo- 
ries of corporations, and of military expeditions, and all works that may 
illustrate the geography, topography, or the animal, vegetable and mineral 
products of the country. 

The committee may, with the written consent of the board of directors, 
make donations and exchanges of duplicate copies of books and pamphlets, 
and they shall make a full record of all donations and exchanges in a book 
kept for the purpose ; and, at the annual meeting, shall submit in writing a 
detailed report of their proceedings. 



Committee on Finance. 

Article XIX. — It shall be the duty of the committee on finance, — of 
which the treasurer shall be, ex-officio, a member, — to examine from time to 
time the books and accounts of the treasurer ; to audit his accounts at the 
close of the year, and to report upon the expediency of proposed expenditures 
of money. 

Committee on Papers and Essays. 

Article XX. — It shall be the duty of the committee on papers and essays 
to make arrangements for the reading of historical papers and essays at the 
meetings of the society. 

Committee on Heraldry. 

Article XXI. — It shall be the duty of the committee on heraldry to col- 
lect and preserve information in regard to heraldry in its relation to New- 
England families, and to make reports from time to time, and deposit them, 
either in print or manuscript, in the archives of the society. 



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